Coin collecting apparatus



Dec. 18, 1962 L. J. LAVIANA 3,069,073

COIN COLLECTING APPARATUS Filed July 7, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. LAWRENCE .1 LA V/ANA A TORNEYS:

Dec. 18, 1962 L. J. LAVIANA 3,069,073

COIN COLLECTING APPARATUS Filed July '7, 1959 4 Sheats-Sheet 2 T35 a8 71 I if 30 iii? INVENTOR. LAWRENCE d. LAV/A NA ATTOBNEKI Dec. 18, 1962 L. J. LAVIANA 3,

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Has INVENTOR. LAWRENCE d. LAV/ANA' ATQRHEYS Dec. 18, 1962 L. J. LAVIANA 3,069,073 com COLLECTING APPARATUS Filed July 7. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG: /2 85 FIG. 74 FIG. /5

INVENTOR,

. LAWRENCE u. LAV/ANA atent Cfif ice United States 3,069,073 COIN COLLECTING APPARATUS Lawrence J. Laviana, Kensington, Conu., assignor to M- H. Rhodes, Inc., Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 7, 1959, Ser. No. 825,474 6' Claims. (Cl. 232- 16) This invention relates to coin collecting apparatus for parking meters and the like which permits the removal of coins accumulated in the coin box of the parking meter without requiring removal of the coin box or permitting operator access to the coins removed from the coin box.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved coin collecting device which is economical to manufacture, easy to operate, and which substantially reduces the opportunity for pilfering of money removed from the coin box.

It is another object of this invention to provide an easily operated coin collecting device that can be rapidly operated so as to substantially reduce the cost of collecting the coins.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a coin collecting device having a single operating lever which has mounted therewith a coin box key that is operable only when the coin collecting device is in proper operating position.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a coin collecting device for key-operated coin boxes wherein the key is integrally mounted with the collecting device and is interlocked therewith to prevent inadvertent breakage of the key.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide an improved coin box having an externally ope-rated door that can be securelyand effectively locked.

Other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

-In the drawings:

FIG. lis a partial perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of my coin collecting device and a parking meter;

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of my improved coin box with a portion of a parking meter shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross section taken along the lines 3-3 of. FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross section taken along the. lines 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross section view similar to FIG. 4 showing a second embodiment of my improved coin box;

FIG. 6 is a partial front plan view of the coin collecting head of my invention;

FIG. 7 is a partial side elevational view of the coin collecting head of FIG. 6;

'FIG. 8 is a cross section view taken along the lines 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9-is a partial'front planview of the coin collecting head in the openposition;

FIG. 10 is a partial cross section view similar to FIG. 8 with the operating mechanism in the open position;

' FIGS. 11 and 12 are partial cross section views of the key-operating mechanism of this invention;

FIG. 13 is a cross section view taken along the lines 13-13 of FIG. 11;

(FIG. 14 is a cross section view taken along the lines 14-14 of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 15 is a cross section view taken along the lines 1414 of FIG. 12 with the key operating mechanism.

in partially rotated position.

Referring to FIG. 1 which illustrates one embodiment of my invention for use in collecting coins from a parking meter, it is seen that a parking meter 10 is provided with a coin box 12 mounted on pedestal 13. The coin collecting device designated generally as 15 includes a coin container 17 mounted on a cart having wheels 18 and handle 19 so that the coin collecting device can be conveniently pushed from meter to meter to permit the coin receiver or collecting head 20 to be engaged with the coin box to allow coins contained therein to drop through flexible tube 22 into container 17.

Referring first to the coin box structure shown in FIGS. 2-5, it is noted that the meter 10 has a base 25 provided with a rear wall 26, side walls 27 and 28, bottom wall 29 and a removable front cover or wall 30 se-- cured to side walls 27 and 28 in a conventional manner. The basic coin box construction, i.e., the side,

bottom, and back walls, is of conventional rectangular construction such as is found in most existing metering installations today. To accommodate my improved coin collecting apparatus in an existing meter, a false bottom i or coin deflecting plate 32 is mounted in coin box 12 and a modified front cover 30 is installed in place of a conventional flat cover to provide a bottom aperture 34 toward which the coins collected in the coin box are' urged by the slope of bottom plate 32. Of course, such facilities can be provided as original equipment in the meter.

As most clearly seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, front cover 30 has a generally arcuate portion 31 which extends out-' wa-rdly at a slightly incline-d angle from the lower edge of bottom 32 and a generally flat inwardly sloping front portion 33 in which is mounted the lock mechanism 38. Aperture 34 is closed by door 36 which is secured by screw fasteners 37 to the inner end of lock mechanism 38 so that rotation of the lock 38 with the. appropriate key causes pivotal movement of door 36 to open and close aperture 34. For ease and reliability of operation, door 36 is provided with a transverse angu-v larly extending web or coin stirrer 36a so that rotation of door 36 in a counterclockwise direction to open the door forces the coins out of the path of the door to facilitate its opening movement and stirs the coins to ensure that they drop through aperture 34.

In the alternate embodiment of my improved coin box illustrated in FIG. 5, the door 39 is pivotally mounted on the inner end of lock mechanism 38. End plate 40 is fastened to the end of lock mechanism 38 by screws 37 which pass through slots in door 39 and is provided with a radially extending arm 42 which extends into slot 43 (dotted lines FIG. 5) in locking bar 44. Locking bar 44 is mounted on the leading edge of door 39 (during opening movement) for sliding movement relative thereto by screw fasteners 45 which pass through elongated slot positive driving connection is then established between lock mechanism 38 and door 39 to permit movement of the door in the opening direction. verses the operating procedure.

The foregoing description of my improved coin box structure clearly illustrates theetfective provision of an Closing of door 39 reoutwardly opening door for a coin box so that coins con- Patented Dec. 18, 1962 tained in the coin box will fall by the force of gravity through the door when it is opened. By the embodiment shown in FIG. I have provided a mechanical lock which effectively prevents forcing of the door and which does not depend upon the mechanical strength of the lock mechanism itself.

Turning now to FIGS. 6-10 taken in conjunction with FIG. 1, it is seen that my improved coin receiver is provided with a housing having a substantially flat front face or wall 6 1 and side walls 62 and 63 which overlie the outwardly extending portion of the coin box. That is, front face 61 overlies front face 30 of the coin box and positions plunger in alignment with lock 38 when bottom wall 31 of front face 33 is engaged by rounded shoulder portions 64 and 65 of the receiver side walls. Side walls 62 and 63 cooperate to define a generally tubular passageway 67 which communicates with aperture 34 in the coin box and with flexible tube 22 and coin container 17 (shown in FIG. 1).

As most clearly seen in FIG. 11, front face 61 is provided with an aperture in which is secured a generally cylindrical projection 70. Operating handle 66 is secured tolever 71 which, in turn, is secured to collar 72v mounted for rotation about cylindrical projection by the cooperation of screws 72a and circumferential groove 72b. Collar 72 is provided with radial rim 73 in abutting engagement with the end of cylindrical projection 70 and has formed therein a pair of diametrically spaced apertures 74 and 75. Detents 76 and 77 are carried in cylindrical passageways 78 and 79 in projection 70 and are urged outwardly through the apertures 74 and in collar 72 by springs 80 and 81 to preclude rotation of handle 66 relative to the coin receiver.

Operating button 65 is positioned relative to handle 66 to permit inward axial movement thereof by thumb pressure when the operators fingers grasp handle 66 and is secured to rod 85 which, in turn, is slidably mounted in the central bore 86 of cylindrical projection 70. Rod 85 is provided with a pair of radially extending abutments 88 and 89 which, in the preferred embodiment, are in the form of a bar 90 extending through the rod 85. Abutments 88 and 89 engage longitudinal slots 92 and 93 in the inner side wall of cylindrical bore 86. Slots 92 and 93 terminate in annular groove 94 and cooperate with groove 94 to permit sliding and rotation of rod 85 relative to projection 70. Rod 85 has afiixed at its inner end a key and spring 101 is provided between button 65 and projection 70, to establish a normal position for key 100 and rod 85 wherein the key is fully withdrawn into cylindrical bore 86.

To establish driving engagement between collar 72 (and handle 66) and rod 85 (and key 100), a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinally extending pins 105 and 106 are mounted in the front face of knob 65. As knob 65 is advanced toward cylindrical bore 86 to bring abutments 88 and 89 into alignment with annular groove 9,4, the pins 105 and 106 engage detents 74 and 75 to move them axially against the force of springs 80 and 81 to the position shown in FIG. 12 wherein detents 74 and 75 are pushed out of engagement with collar 72, pins 105 and 106 engage collar 72, and key 100 is fully advanced. In this position, rod 85 and key 100 can be rotated by moving handle 66 so as to rotate projections 88 and 89 within annular groove 94.

Operation of the mechanism thus far described is acoomplished by bringing receiver 20 into engagement with coin box 12 so shoulders 64 and 63 and front wall 61 cooperate to position key 100 in overlying alignment with lock 38. In this position, knob 65 is axially advanced by pressing inwardly against the force of spring 101 to bring key 100 into proper operating position within the mechanism of lock 38. His noted that handle 66 and collar 72 cannot be rotated until detents 74 and 75. are released. In addition, rod 85 cannot be rotated until abutments 88 and 89 are in alignment with annular groove 94 anduntil 4 driving engagement is established between collar 72 and knob 65 by pins 105 and 106. Thus, the key cannot be rotated until it is properly seated in the lock mechanism thereby effectively preventing inadvertent breaking or damaging of the key by improper operation of the receiver mechanism.

After key 100 is properly positioned in the mechanism of lock 38, handle 66 is rotated thereby turning key 100 so as to rotate door 36 and open aperture 34 to permit the coins which are stacked up on top of slanted bottom plate 32 to fall into passageway 67 in receiver 20 and into coin container 17. When all coins have passed into the container, the handle is returned to the position shown in FIG. 1 and button 65 is released to withdraw key 100 and permit removal of the receiver from the coin box. It is noted that the aforedescribed sequence operation is the same for the door structures of both FIGS. 4 and 5. As is apparent, it is unnecessary to touch the coins during the aforedescribed coin removal procedure and, in fact, it is impossible to touch the coins since the coin box mechanism is effectively sealed by the receiver mechanism during the coin removal operation.

In order to prevent the placing of obstructions in the tubular passageway 67, the guard or gate 110 is provided in receiver 20. Gate 110 is generally arcuate in shape and is supported at one end by arm 111' which, in turn, is mounted for pivotal movement about point 112. Slot 113 is provided in the side of shoulder 62 to permit movement of gate 110 between the position shown in FIG. 8 wherein the passageway 67 is closed to the position shown in FIG. 10 wherein the passageway is fully open. Driving engagement between handle 66'and plate 110 is established by the engagement of drive pin 115, mounted in collar 72 and gate pin 116 mounted on arm 111 and extending through slot 117 in front plate 61 of receiver 20. In the illustrated embodiment, a spring 118 is provided to urge guard 110 into the open position so that rotation of handle 66 to open the coin box in the aforedescribed manner permits spring 118 to open passageway 67 to permit passage of coins therethrough. When handle 66 is returned to the closed or locked position of FIG. 7, the pin engages pin 116 to drive guard 110 back to the closed position. If desired, a positive drive in both directions can be provided and the spring 118 can be eliminated.

It is noted that locating point 112 about which arm 111 and gate 110 pivot is positioned below and to the right of rod 85 as viewed in FIGS. 8 and 10 and enables gate 110 to be opened before the coin box door is opened. In addition, the pin 120, mounted on front plate 61, cooperates with drive pin 115 to act as a stop to limit opening movement of handle 66 and prevent breaking of key 100 (see FIG. 9). In a similar manner, drive pin 115 cooperates with gate pin 116 and end wall 121 of slot 117 to limit closing movement of handle 66 (see FIG. 6).

From the foregoing description of the construction operation of my improved coin collecting apparatus, it is apparent that I have provided an improved coin box which is positively locked in a mechanical manner independently of the key mechanism thereby to provide a practical coin box having an outwardly opening door through which coins can pass through the force of gravity and eliminating the necessity of removing the coin boxes from the associate parking meter and permitting use of a coin collecting mechanism therewith which eliminates necessity of contact by the operator with the coins themselves. In addition, I have provided an improved coin collecting device which is substantially fool proof in operation so as to permit extremely rapid operation by relatively inexperienced operators. The operating mechanism of my coin collecting device is interlocked to prevent inadvertent damage to the key. Further, I have provided a simple but effective device to forestall tampering in the nature of tube blockages which would permit unintended removal of collecting coins.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coin collecting device for use with a parking meter coin box and the like having an external opening through which the coins fall by gravity and a door closing said opening rotatable with a key-operated lock, comprising a coin receiving head dimensioned to enclose the coin box opening and overlie the key-operated lock, said head having a first aperture therein communicating with a coin collecting container and a second aperture therein aligned with the coin box lock, a shield mounted on said head for movement between a position overlying and substantially closing said first aperture to a position displaced therefrom, a handle mounted for rotation coaxial with said second aperture, a key mounted in said second aperture and rotatable with said handle, said key being operatively engageable with the coin box lock when said coin receiving head i aligned with the door in said coin box, and means connecting said shield to said handle and key whereby rotation of said handle opens the coin box door and the shield to permit the coins contained in the coin box to drop through said coin receiving head into the coin container.

2. A coin collecting device for use with a parking meter coin box or the like having an external opening through which the coins contained therein fall by gravity and a door closing said opening mounted on and rotatable with a key-operated lock comprising a coin receiving head dimensioned to enclose the coin box opening and overlie the key-operated lock, said head having a first aperture therein communicating with a coin collecting container and a second aperture therein aligned with the coin box lock, a handle mounted for rotation coaxial with said second aperture, a shield pivotally mounted on said head and movable from a position substantially closing said first aperture to a position giving substantially free access to said first aperture, means operatively connecting said shield and said handle to effect simultaneous movement, a key mounted in said second aperture for rotation with said handle and for axial move ment toward and away from the coin box lock, and means preventing rotation of said handle and said key until said key is fully advanced into said lock.

3. A coin collecting device for use with a parking meter coin box and the like having an external opening through which coins fall by gravity and a door closing said opening which is rotatable with a key operated lock comprising a coin receiving head dimensioned to enclose the coin box opening and overlie the key operated lock, said head having a first aperture therein communicating with a coin collecting container and a second aperture therein aligned with the coin box lock, a cylindrical projection mounted on said receiving head in alignment with said second aperture, a handle mounted for rotation about said cylindrical projection, a shield pivotally mounted on said head and movable from a position substantially closing said first aperture to a position giving substantially free access to said first aperture, means operatively connecting said shield and said handle to effect simultaneous movement, a rod mounted in and coaxial with said cylindrical projection and having a key extending inwardly therefrom, drive means engageable between said rod and said handle to efiect simultaneous rotation, a longitudinal slot in the inside wall of said cylindrical projection, an abutment on said rod in engagement with said slot and an annular groove positioned at the inner end of said longitudinal slot, said abutment preventing rotation of said rod except at the fully advanced position of said rod and key wherein said abutment is aligned with said rod and groove.

4. The coin collection device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said shield is mounted for rotation about a point that is below the axis of said cylindrical projection whereby rotation of said handle causes said shield to fully open before the door of said coin box is opened.

5. A coin collecting device for use with a parking meter coin box or the like having an external opening through which coins fall by gravity and a door closing said opening which is rotatable with a key-operated lock comprising a coin receiving head dimensioned to enclose the coin box opening and overlie the key-operated lock, said head having a first aperture therein communicating with a coin collecting container and a second aperture therein aligned with the coin box lock, a cylindrical projection mounted on said receiving head in alignment with said second aperture, a collar mounted for rotation about said cylindrical projection, a rod mounted in and coaxial with said cylindrical projection and having a key extending inwardly therefrom, drive means engageable between said rod and said collar to effect simultaneous rotation, a longitudinal slot in the inside wall of said cylindrical projection, an abutment on said rod in engagement with said slot, and an annular groove positioned at the inner end of said longitudinal slot, said abutment preventing rotation of said rod except at the fully advanced position of said rod and key wherein said abutment is aligned with said annular groove whereby advancing said rod to insert said key into the lock permits rotation of said collar and said key to open the coin box door and permit the coins contained therein to drop through said coin receiving head into the coin container.

6. Apparatus for collecting coins from parking meters and the like comprising a coin box having an outwardly facing aperture therein through which coins fall by gravity, a key operated lock mounted in said coin box, a rotatably mounted door closing said aperture, said door being rotatable tranversely of said aperture by said keyoperated look, a coin receiving head dimensioned to enclose said outwardly facing aperture and to overlie the key-operated lock, said head having a first aperture therein aligned with said outwardly facing aperture and communicating with a coin collecting container, a second aperture in said head aligned with said coin box lock, a handle mounted for rotation in said second aperture, a key mounted in said second aperture for rotation with said handle and for axial movement toward and away from said key operated lock whereby rotation of said handle after said key is advanced into operative engagement with said lock opens said coin box door to permit the coins contained therein to drop through said coin receiving head into the coin collecting container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,113,989 Klemt Apr. 12, 1938 2,277,916 Klemt Mar. 31, 1942 2,620,971 Hale Dec. 9, 1952 2,779,535 Jones Ian. 29, 1957 

